The Finnish manufacturer has been advancing snow tires since the early 20th century, and their products are top picks for drivers in the world's most challenging winter climates.

Nokian has also recently responded to the demand for a true year-round all season tire with the Nokian WRG3.

The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 with its innovative, patented stud solution looks to be the next step forward for the company's snow tire product line.

While in recent times significant progress has been made with snow tire compounds, snow tire studs have been relatively fixed and stagnant. And to date, always a compromise -- studs can't be faulted for the traction they provide in icy and mixed road conditions, but on dry roads they compromise handling and often produce significant noise. Nokian acknowledges the comfort deficiency associated with studded winter tires:

If you appreciate tyres that are quiet on bare roads, non-studded winter tyres are the right choice for you.

The Hakkapeliitta 9 represents a step forward in resolving the stud dilemma. Nokian claims that by integrating different studs in different parts of the tire, the Hakkapeliitta 9 "adapt(s) to all winter weather," and "offers the driver both excellent longitudinal grip and unparalleled lateral grip when cornering under winter conditions as well as stable, comfortable bare-road handling.” The various types of studs on the Hakkapeliitta 9 effectively act as "active safety equipment." (Source.)